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Friday, April 22, 2016

On the Soon-To-Be `Ideal´ of Priestly Celibacy

The official internet portal of the Catholic Church in Germany, katholisch.de, published an article today which might well represent the opening salvo of the next battle in the war being waged against the remaining elements of Tradition in the Church: priestly celibacy. I present an English translation of the original article for your consideration below, without comment (emphasis mine):

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"Non-Celibates, too, should lead the celebration of the Eucharist"

Bishop Emeritus Kräutler urges more intrepidity from priests and laymen

Bishop Emeritus Erwin Kräutler

(Salzburg) - In the opinion of retired Amazonian Bishop Erwin Kräutler, celibacy should no longer be seen as a prerequisite for a priest to celebrate the Eucharist. A decoupling is needed, said the longtime bishop of Xingu, Brazil, in an interview appearing in the Salzburg Rupertusblatt. To decide in favor of a life without marriage is "certainly a special grace," according to the native Austrian. The celebration of the Eucharist, however, must not depend upon whether "perchance a celibate priest" is present.

Admittedly, Pope Francis doesn't want to decide this matter alone, said Kräutler. He recalled the audience of 2014, during which the Pope encouraged the bishops of the Amazon to propose courageous solutions to the problem of priestless parishes. In regard to the ordination of women, too, Kräutler opined: "Nothing is impossible!" After all, many decisions made at the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965) would have been considered heretical at the time of the First Vatican Council (1869-1870). [!]

Women's Ordination "somewhat more difficult"

Nevertheless, the question of women's ordination is "somewhat more difficult" than the decoupling of the Eucharist and celibacy, as Pope John Paul II, in his Apostlic Letter Ordinatio Sacerdotalis of May, 1994, "ostensibly once and for all firmly closed that door and sought to cement his opinion for all times," said Kräutler. The Letter, however, touches no tenet of faith, and "doesn't even possess the authority of an encyclical."

Principally, the retired bishop wishes for more "boldness, audacity, intrepidity and simultaneously trust and passion" and less "paralyzing despondency" from laity, priests, bishops and religious.

On Wednesday (27 April) in Salzburg, Kräutler presents his new book with the title: "Be Brave! Change the World and the Church Now".

1 comment:

It seems the Bishop has not sufficiently reflected on who alone of all the priests stood faithfully with the Mother of Sorrows at the foot of the Cross on Calvary. It was St. John the Evangelist, "the disciple whom Jesus loved". He was loved especially by Our Lord for his purity, his celibacy. Every virginal priest is, like St. John, particularly dear to the Hearts of Jesus & Mary.

Seminarians have a number of years to discern their ability to sustain the celibate state for the kingdom of heaven, or whether they must quit the religious life in favour of the married state. The priest is an alter Christus, another Christ. This imposes upon him a great burden, supported by grace, to imitate Our Lord in all things, especially in the crucifying of the flesh and passions. His reward is a greater supernatural insight and a joy of soul that no man can take from him If the priest refuses, like the rich young man of the Gospels to give up everything for the special honour of priestly vocation he has been accorded, then he is simply not fit to be one of Our Lord's priestly disciples. Priests who argue in favour of abandoning celibacy are very questionable in my view. Have they been faithful when they can so easily advocate abandoning that which is central to the sanctifying of the clergy? It's a good question.

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